Most college students have the luxury of making mistakes—making poor decisions and damn the consequences! It’s a part of the college experience. Becoming an adult is as much about learning what NOT to do as it is about accepting responsibility for one’s actions. But what about the young adults who can’t afford to make mistakes? Chronic illness does not allow for very many mistakes, even small ones. Our bodies can’t bounce back from neglect like those of our healthier peers. So, what are these kids to do? What happens when even little mistakes can be deadly?
You are alone.
You can go to class—or not.
You can stay out all night—or not.
You can take your pills—or not.
You can follow your doctors’ orders—or not.
You can try to be “normal”—or not.
You can end up in the hospital—or not.
You can collapse on the sidewalk outside your building—or not.
You sit and revel in the quiet. It feels strange to be completely unsupervised. No more parents around to hand you pills in the morning. No one to wake you up and force you to do your therapy after you passed out on the couch at midnight. No one to take you to the doctor and hold your hand when you get bad news. No one to make decisions for you about new treatments and methods of care. They dropped you off at college and trusted that you would take care of yourself. Even as elation at your newfound freedom surges over you, a whisper of fear slithers in your gut. The realization that you can do whatever you want now is slower in coming.
Everything rests with YOU.
Well, you may be alone, but you are not powerless.
You CAN do it all.
I’m here to show you how.
Take a breath.
And come with me.
Take A Breath 